A pregnant nun came to the bank to collect her inheritance, and after asking her the first question, the banker ran to the safe deposit box…

His wife didn’t survive childbirth, she had many illnesses. She had pneumonia during pregnancy and their daughter barely survived. Austin worked in the ambulance service, but only in the day shift.

His family was somewhere on the outskirts of the country, incredibly far away, and there was no one to help with the child. However, they managed to gather money for their daughter’s treatment. Amanda, don’t worry.

The surgery is straightforward, slightly more complex than an appendix removal. And the surgeon here is wonderful, I know him. He taught at our institute when I was a student.

They even tried to lure him to the capital, but he didn’t leave. There’s nothing to fear. The anesthesiologist, of course, exaggerates, but God is her judge.

They talked for almost the entire night. Amanda managed to sleep only three hours, Horace woke up shortly after, and a few hours later, the doctor came. The surgery was the scariest thing.

Handing her little one over was so difficult, but Amanda did it with a smile, not to scare her child. Although he still cried. As soon as they took him away, Austin approached Amanda, now, don’t fall apart.

Pull yourself together. Children sense their mother’s mood. I could afford to cry, but you can’t, he said firmly.

Amanda, who was already on the verge of tears, suddenly stopped. Wait, did you cry? No. I shaved during that time, took a shower.

When I came back, my girl was already sleeping on the bed. She slept for another hour, and when she woke up, she looked funny. They’re quite amusing after anesthesia.

You look at them and feel like the light is on, but there’s no one at home. Amanda burst into laughter. Austin didn’t leave her side for a moment during the surgery.

When they brought Horace back and informed her that everything went well, she smiled happily. Thank you. I would have cried my eyes out if not for your support, Amanda said.

Single mothers need to support each other. Austin winked at her. They talked the entire time until they were discharged.

It happened on the same day, but Austin and Amanda exchanged numbers. It turned out that they didn’t live too far from each other. Austin lived in a district town just 50 kilometers away from the village where Amanda settled.

They started calling and communicating. About a month later, Austin called Amanda and said, Let’s live together. Calling you is nice, but I’d like to see you by my side every day, and it would be easier for you too.

My Sophia needs a mother, and your boys need a father. Maybe we’ll even have a child together. I bet it’ll be a boy.

Amanda laughed. It wasn’t unexpected. Austin had visited her a couple of times after the hospital, and there was a strong attraction between them.

Both of them found themselves in the role of single parents. Both had lost their spouses. Perhaps this was what fate looked like.

Amanda confessed to the priest that she had been angry with God for taking her husband away. The priest blessed Amanda for a second marriage and wished her happiness. Austin and Amanda decided to move to the city.

For the next six months, they dealt with buying and selling properties. Amanda sold her cottage, and Austin did the same. They pooled their resources and took out a mortgage since they needed a larger apartment for their three children, with a fourth one on the way.

They found a splendid house on the outskirts. Amanda was pleased that the house was far enough from the place where her father had lived. They moved and settled in.

Amanda stayed at home with the children while Austin, as before, continued to work as an emergency room doctor. Sophia, Austin’s daughter, grew very fond of her stepmother she called her mom. And if the stepbrothers misbehaved, she scolded them, defending Amanda.

Amanda’s relationship with Austin developed wonderfully. If Darren was categorical and could raise his voice, forcing things to happen, Austin showed Amanda a different side. Darren was very religious, that’s why he chose Amanda as his wife.

He was a good, honest, decent man, but his temperament was quite heavy. Perhaps that’s why he couldn’t bear that his wife was robbed in the parking lot and rushed after the criminals. When Darren decided to fast, he unquestionably threw away all the food and made Amanda follow the fast as well.

It was important to him, and Amanda didn’t argue much, she agreed. Austin, on the other hand, was different. If Amanda didn’t want to do something, he might try to persuade her or convince her with a hug, but he never insisted.

The decisions remained with her. For the first time in her life, Amanda felt such an attitude towards herself. Even in the orphanage when she was little, Amanda didn’t receive as much love, attention, and care as Austin gave her.

Despite his fairly demanding job, he was very kind. Smiling, he rarely got angry. And when such moments did occur, his anger seemed more like disappointment.

Austin and Amanda got married officially. When she got married for the first time, she didn’t change her last name. Her father and mother were proud of it.

Amanda was young, and she wanted to keep a piece of her own family in her name, she deliberately didn’t take her husband’s last name. Initially, Darren had said that it was wrong, but later he relented, saying he didn’t mind. He wasn’t from some noble lineage, he was just an ordinary mechanic.

Austin, too, didn’t insist on changing the last name, but Amanda decided to take his surname. One day, Austin came home from work in silence. Amanda habitually hugged him and kissed his unshaven cheek, standing on tiptoe.

When she did that, her long chestnut braid reached almost to her knees. What happened? Amanda asked. Gunfight in the city center.

The 90s are over, but the gangsters still can’t stop shooting at each other. And where do they keep coming from? Today, they badly wounded a child, a girl. It shook me up, that could have been my daughter.

She’s somebody’s daughter, too, Austin replied, visibly disturbed. Amanda looked at her husband with concern. Is she alive? Yes, I did everything I could…